Updated: Several injured in slide accident at Rosemont Elementary School

Asia Ashley, Matthew Strother and Tim Epperson Staff Writers

October 18, 2013

Several students were injured when an inflatable slide collapsed this afternoon at Rosemont Elementary School.

At about 1 p.m., Troup County 911 received a call that an inflatable slide, set up in the gymnasium that children were playing on, collapsed injuring the students, according to Troup County Sheriff’s spokesperson Stewart Smith.

Tina Duckett, school system public relations director, said 18 students were involved in the inflatable collapse. Fire Department officials said 13 were injured. Duckett wasn’t sure this afternoon how many were actually on the slide when it gave way.

“We are working with law enforcement to find the reason why the inflatable collapsed,” Duckett said.

Smith said that two students were airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. West Georgia Health spokesperson Jan Nichols said that six students were transported to the hospital by ambulance and one student was brought to the hospital by a parent.

Smith said the remaining students were either treated at the scene and released to their parents, or were sent back to their classrooms. The fifth grade students were in the gym for an Accelerate Reader celebration, something Duckett said the school had regularly done.

Duckett could not recall any similar incident to today’s. She said the school system would be working with Sheriff’s investigators and take any precautions necessary to avoid any similar incidents in the future.

“We’re just devastated that this happened,” Duckett said. “Our focus right now is on the children.”

Parents of the children injured were called after the incident. Other Rosemont students were sent home with a note about the slide collapse.